Warkings are back with Armageddon. This album doesn’t just arrive, from the very start of it it’s clear there will be very little filler. This whole piece storms in, it’s clear this album is going to be a full-blown cinematic ride through myth, battle, and metal bravado. And I honestly enjoyed it a lot. This feels like the most cohesive and polished offering from Warkings yet. It feels like a true concept project, not just a collection of tracks. Everything from the blistering drums to the theatrical interludes is there for a reason. It’s a proper experience!
The album kicks off with “To Lindisfarne…”, a short but powerful intro that genuinely feels like walking into hell. There’s a march beat, the clash and creek of metal, and a low, building tension that carries throughout the whole album. This is like an army being summoned to war. That tension explodes into the title track “Armageddon”, which wastes no time. The drums are unreal here, heavy, fast, and cinematic. It’s one of the most complete tracks on the album and as the title track it does not disappoint! Also a side note: the music video is a must-watch. The visual side of this album adds so much to the storytelling and vibe.
“Genghis Khan” (ft. Orden Ogan) is where the guitar work really hit me. There’s this raw heaviness at the start, and the whole thing feels like the theme song to a brutal fantasy show. It’s bold, even a bit over-the-top, but that’s the magic of it, the bravado works. “Kingdom Come” keeps the energy going strong before we hit “Morgana’s Incantation”, a short, eerie spoken-word track full of witchy distortion. It bleeds straight into “Circle of Witches”, which just tears in with pounding drums and layered vocals with chants like “the end is near!” This is the middle section of the album, and you can really feel like you’re on a journey.
“Kings of Ragnarök” stood out for its mix of cinematic and traditional metal elements. Again, the video makes it even bigger, it’s like they’ve thought about every detail. “Call to Arms” is another interlude, short and sharp, full of marching and the chant of “fight…kill…eye for an eye.” Then you land into “Troops of Immortality,” which is hands-down my favourite on the record. Everything good about Armageddon is packed into this one, the drums, the riffs, the energy, a wonderful track.
The final stretch gives the album some breathing room. “Nightfall” is softer, more reflective with gentler guitar work. “Hangman’s Night” (ft. Dominum) has some of the best vocals on the whole record. It brings a contrast that cuts through everything we’ve heard so far, it freshens things up big time. “Varangoi” keeps things steady, while “Here Comes the Rain” is what I would describe as the calmest moment on the album. It’s slower, moody, and probably the most subdued track here. And then there’s the closer “Stahl auf Stahl” with Subway to Sally, a stomping end to a wild ride.
In short, Armageddon is everything fans hoped Warkings would deliver. It’s bold, theatrical, and surprisingly tight. There’s barely any filler, with even the short skits adding to the album’s momentum and story. It’s not trying to be subtle, it’s aiming for glory, swords in hand, and screaming vocals echoing across imaginary battlefields.
It gets a seriously impressive 8.5/10 from us!
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography